Baxter and Amber
by Stinkfly3
Summary: If Corey and Trina are adopted, who were their biological parents? Do their past lives have an affect on their personalities? Read this story to find out! Rated M for violent themes.
1. Corey's Reveal

**A/N: This story takes place in a more canon theory of the show, which confirms that Corey and Trina were adopted by an unmarried man. It does NOT take place in my demon theory storyline.**

* * *

It was another morning in the Riffin household. When Corey and Trina woke up, they got dressed and looked at themselves in the mirror in their respective rooms.

"They can't hurt me anymore," Trina said, clenching her fists. "Their fists will never touch my skin. I am Trina Riffin, and I am the bravest girl in Peaceville."

Corey took a deep breath. "They're still a part of my memory," he said. "I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Riffin..." He forced a smile on his face. "And I am the best musician in Peaceville."

With that, the two siblings left their rooms for breakfast.

* * *

Later that day, Corey headed for the garage. "Hey guys!" he said, a convincing fake smile on his face. "Let's do something music-related today!"

Laney, Kin, and Kon looked at him. "Did you forget about today's plan?" Laney asked.

"Nope!" Corey said. "How could I forget today's the day we do that...big...gig...at that...place?" He grinned.

"Core, we're playing at a funeral!" Laney reminded. "We made the agreements, remember?"

"Oh... Right..." Corey said, his smile slowly fading. "Funeral gig... Yay..."

That was Trina's cue to show up. But this time, she was angrier than usual. "There's no way you're playing at a funeral!" she shrieked, not talking like a valley girl like she usually did. "Your music is going to RUIN THE SERVICE!"

"Funeral?" Corey asked with a nervous chuckle. "We're not going to play at a funeral. What Laney meant to say was a fountain store." He put his arm around the red-haired girl. "Right Lanes? _Fountain store_?"

"No, I said funeral," Laney said, pulling away.

Before anything else could happen, Trina locked the garage door shut. "You're not going to the cemetery!" she ordered. "I let you haunt me with that rock music for too long! Well not this time! As of this moment, your garbage band is officially over!" Then she went back in the house, muttering something about something never happening again.

"Okay, that was a setback," Corey said. "So we're not playing at a funeral. Perfect! Let's see if we can play at that fountain store instead."

Kin finally spoke up. "Corey, is there something wrong?" he asked.

"I told you, there's absolutely nothing wrong!" Corey yelled. "I'm the most perfect guy ever! I don't have any flaws or bad experiences! Now can we play at that fountain store?!"

"But I never heard of a fountain store," Kon said. "You only said it because it sounds like funeral."

Corey looked at his three friends. It got quiet, and he knew they could hear him heaving. He didn't know what to say. He could feel tears starting to surface and he had a horrible pain inside him. He knew his façade was going to slip any minute and they would see the real him. So he did the only thing he could do.

"Excuse me for a minute," Corey said. Then he ran back into the house, trying to hold it in.

* * *

When Corey got back to his room, he slammed the door shut. Feeling he was alone and no one could see him, he got on top of his bed and started crying. He then took out a small blue notepad and started writing in it, still crying. This was his makeshift lyric book. It was so sacred, he dared not to let anyone see it. He could write good songs, but the words he wrote revealed his past. He had to use Trina's diary as a cover. If he sang a song he wrote, it would reveal too much. He couldn't let his friends, especially Laney, know who he truly was.

Eventually, Corey finished writing, so he closed his notepad. But he still laid on his bed, wanting to let the emotions out before he got back downstairs. Every day he faked being happy. He pretended to show confidence and make sure every day was perfect. But for now, he knew he couldn't get back to the band until he put on his emotional mask and continued to fake happiness.

"Corey? Are you in there?"

Corey's eyes widened. He knew that was Laney behind that door. He couldn't let her see him in this state, so he put his head under his pillow to muffle his sobs.

"Are you crying?"

Corey still didn't respond. He had to make sure Laney still saw his fake self, the one with no problems. The only thing he could do was continue to recite his morning chant until he calmed down. "They're still a part of my memory. I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Riffin, and I am the best musician in Peaceville. They're still a part of my memory. I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Riffin, and I am the best musician in Peaceville. They're still a part of my memory. I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Ba-" He stopped himself. He didn't go by that anymore. That name was his past, not his present. He was a Riffin, always and forever.

"Corey, what's going on?"

Corey looked up. Laney opened his bedroom door, and she was standing right outside. She looked surprised. "Corey?"

Corey looked at his mirror, seeing his real self staring back at him. Tear stains were on his face and his only visible emotion was pain. He looked back at Laney, the beautiful girl he cared about since they first met. Here she was, seeing a glimpse of his real self. He didn't know what to do.

Laney walked over to Corey and sat next to him. "What's going on?" she asked, speaking softly. "First you get upset about playing at a funeral, then you run up to your room. Are you feeling alright?"

Corey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even now, he remembered what happened all those years ago.

_"Mommy, who is that guy?"_

_"Corey, go upstairs and call the police!"_

_"Why?"_

_"Listen to your mother, son! Get help now!"_

_"But-"_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_"Mommy?! Daddy?!"_

Corey opened his eyes again. That was the past, and it still haunted him. Laney saw a glimpse of who he really was. It was time for him to come clean. "Laney..." he said, showing her his notepad. "This contains songs I wrote. I never intended anyone to hear these songs. But you saw my real self, and I can't hide it anymore. It's time you, Kin, and Kon learned the truth."

* * *

Back in the garage, the gang set up their instruments. Corey put his notepad on a music stand in front of him, intending on singing his song. He was almost going to chicken out, but he had to face the music. They had to know the truth. "Count us in, Kon," he sadly said.

"1, 2, 3, 4!"

_I never thought I would say goodbye_  
_I thought you would be by my side_  
_But the hands of fate had other plans_  
_And took you away before I turned four_

_My heart is scarred, the damage is done_  
_I wish it was a dream, but I'm darn wrong_  
_I'm never the same again_  
_'Cause a silver bullet destroyed my soul_

_Why did you have to go?_  
_I feel so alone_  
_I don't understand what happened that night_  
_If I could change the past, I would bring you back_

_I still love you with my shattered heart_  
_The pieces can never be repaired_  
_It will still haunt me for my whole life_  
_The glass tears still burn my eyes_

By the time the song was done, Corey fell to the ground crying. He didn't care that his friends saw him. The damage was done, and they saw his pain. "Corey?" Laney asked.

"I was still three years old," Corey said, still sobbing. "It was the night before my fourth birthday. A guy broke into the house. I didn't know he was a criminal. My parents wanted me to call the police, but I didn't move. Then he... He..." He looked up at Laney. "They were shot. I saw their blood. They died right before my eyes."

Laney, Kin, and Kon were silent. They never saw Corey like this before. He was prideful, confident, and always brave. But here he was, crying on the stage. It was Laney who finally spoke up. "Core..." she said, sitting next to him and positioning his head on her lap. "How are your parents dead? I saw your father the other day."

"My name isn't Riffin," Corey continued. "I-It's Baxter. Cornelius Trevor Baxter. I was adopted."

Kin and Kon gasped. Laney, however, looked sympathetic. She took off his beanie, placed it next to her, and stroked his hair, gently shushing him as he sobbed on her lap. "There there," she said soothingly. "Everything is better now. You have us."

"J-Just promise me one thing, Lanes," Corey said. "Promise me...you'll never leave me. I-I don't want to lose the last thing I care about."

"You care about me?" Laney asked.

Corey looked up. "Lanes, you're the only person in my life who's absolutely perfect," he said. "I never want to see you go. Please...say you won't abandon me. Say you'll stick by my side in matter what. Say you'll... You'll..."

"I'll what?" Laney asked.

Corey put his hand on Laney's knee. "Say you'll marry me when we're older," he confessed.

Laney was surprised. This was very out-of-character of Corey. Did he really feel this way about her? Was he really not as clueless as he seemed? Regardless, there was only one thing she could say.

"Yes, Corey," Laney said. "I'll do all of those things."

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry, I'll explain Trina's backstory in the next chapter. There's a good reason why she hates Corey's band.**


	2. Exchanging Backstories

Many days went by since Corey's confession, and things were never the same again. Corey was no longer cheerful. Instead, he sat on the couch and played guitar, not even bothering to join his friends on the stage. Eventually, band practices stopped altogether. Corey wouldn't even let Laney, Kin, and Kon come over. This greatly concerned them.

"I'm sorry, kids," Mr. Riffin told them one day in the family living room. "Corey isn't feeling well again. He won't tell me and Trina what's bothering him."

"Mr. Riffin, you adopted Corey," Kin said. "Do you know about his past life?"

"Of course I do," Mr. Riffin answered. "According to the head of the orphanage, he witness his parents getting shot by a criminal. Did he tell you this?"

"Yeah," Kon said. "What else do you know?"

"Plenty of information," Mr. Riffin said. "He's attached to music because his parents used to perform local concerts in this town. They were a variety duo, but their favorite genre was soft rock. His mother was famous for her red and yellow electric guitar."

"Like the one Corey uses?" Laney asked.

"The exact one," Mr. Riffin continued. "He was clinging to it when I first saw him. That guitar and an old Bubble Bunch Band video tape are all he has left of his parents."

Laney's eyes widened, a thought appearing in her head. "Did you get him a new guitar after the town flood?" she asked.

"Of course I did," Mr. Riffin said. "I feel bad it was destroyed when the dam broke."

"Mr. Riffin, that's not what happened," Laney said. "Trina threw it into a wood chipper after he kept on practicing the same riff for hours."

Mr. Riffin sighed. "I'm not surprised," he said. "She hates rock music because of her past life."

The three kids gasped. "You mean Trina is also adopted?" Kin asked.

"She is," Mr. Riffin explained. "Have any of you heard of rock legend Khris Amber?"

"Hardcore guitarist with a reputation as dark as his clothes?" Kon asked in response.

"That's the one," Mr. Riffin said. "He's Trina's biological father. Her mother was a random groupie he met backstage after a city tour. Poor girl was tormented nonstop. I don't even think her parents really wanted her. Fortunately the cops arrested Khris and the groupie because of illegal drug use. Rock music still reminds her of them, so she tries to act tough to hide her sorrow."

"Have Corey and Trina told each other about their pasts?" Laney asked.

"I don't think so," Mr. Riffin said. "They don't like talking about it."

"Then it's the only way to get Corey back to normal," Laney said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Trina was in her room. At the moment, she was curled up in a fetal position on her bed, trembling. Even as she played her blue-starred music box, she could still hear their voices taunting her.

_"Oh Katrina! I'm home!"_

_"What's the matter, Katrina? Don't you know you were born a mistake?"_

Trina clenched her fists. She didn't go by that name anymore. She had to lock up her past self and become a stronger person. Mr. Riffin was her true father. He took care of her, gave her a comfortable bed, and even gave her Mister Mooseface and Pinkcredible. She loved her new name, but her adopted brother's music made her think about her old family. She hated those memories, and she hated rock music.

"Trina?"

The teen looked up and saw her father standing outside her room. "Yeah dad?" she replied.

"I want you to go downstairs," Mr. Riffin said. "It's about you and your brother."

* * *

Trina arrived in the living room and saw Corey and his friends sitting on the couch. Corey was in a horrible condition. He was only wearing black boxers and his hair was shaggier and slightly longer, a sign he needed a trim. He even smelled like he didn't shower in days. Trina pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Corey, Trina, what do you think about each other?" Mr. Riffin asked.

"Corey is rude and inconsiderate," Trina answered with a glare. "He doesn't care about anyone's feelings because all he cares about is playing rock music."

"Trina must have come from a family who spoiled her rotten," Corey responded, looking at the floor as he sadly spoke. "She won't let me rock out with my friends and she doesn't even love me."

Mr. Riffin presented two identical folders. "These are your adoption papers," he explained, giving each of the siblings a folder. "They contain your backgrounds and behavior. I want you to read each others bios. When you're finished, tell me what you think about each other."

And so, Corey and Trina opened the folders and read the printed material. What they saw was surprising.

**Katrina Amber is the daughter of Khris Amber and Megan Star. She is a very sweet girl who needs a good family. Ever since she was born, Katrina has been abused constantly by her parents. As she was conceived by accident, Khris and Megan never even loved her. She is in this orphanage because they were arrested for using illegal drugs. Please give Katrina the childhood she never had. Who knows? Maybe she'll return the love.**

**Cornelius Trevor Baxter is the son of Richard and Eileen Baxter. He is very young with a good heart. This is no surprise, as Richard and Eileen loved him very much. They introduced him to music, and he can't get enough of it. But sadly, he witnessed his parents getting shot by a wanted criminal before he turned four, traumatizing him for life. He is very clingy to two objects: a cassette tape of the juvenile show Captain Carny and the Bubble Bunch Band, and a red-yellow electric guitar. Those two things are what he has left of his loving parents. All he wants his for someone to give him a home.**

By the time, Corey and Trina were finished reading, they both looked sad. Putting the folders on the table, they looked at each other. After a moment of silence, they got on their feet and rushed over to each other for a hug, tears pouring from their eyes.

"I'm sorry for playing rock music," Corey said. "I didn't know it triggered bad memories."

"I'm sorry for destroying your childhood," Trina said. "I had no idea you came from a good family."

"Does this mean you will respect each other from now on?" Mr. Riffin asked.

Corey and Trina nodded in response, still hugging. Laney, Kin, and Kon smiled, knowing things were going to turn out better for years to come.

* * *

**A/N: So... What now? Please give me some ideas to type!**


End file.
